Telethon 2025: Aussie stars touch down at Perth Airport as they get ready to raise roof at fundraising weekend

A convoy of Australia’s most familiar screen and stage talent touched down at Perth Airport on Friday afternoon, greeted by Fat Cat and a welcome party of school students as they geared up for a spectacular weekend of fundraising at Telethon.

Featuring a host of returning stars in Nat Barr, Larry Emdur, and Dami Im, and emerging national talents in singer Marshall Hamburger, and Perth-born Home and Away cast member Tristan Gorey, the weekend of giving promises to pull out all the stops.

Eurovision runner-up and recording artist Im, now a mother of two, was buoyed by the prospect of having family by her side at Telethon for the first time.

However, she admitted it “was not easy bringing small kids” on the flight from Brisbane.

“I’ve done this in the past, and I’ve always enjoyed that enthusiasm and people coming together to support one another,” she said.

“Now be to be here again, with little kids this time, which I didn’t have kids last time, it’s even more meaningful.”

Sonia Kruger will be joining Im in making the weekend a family affair, accompanied by her daughter who is yet to experience the magic.

“I’m so happy because I got to bring Maggie with me. This is her first Telethon. She’s 10 now, and I really want her to see the incredible work that goes on here,” Kruger beamed.

“The first thing I said was, ‘Fat Cat will be there’, and he was literally right there as we got off the plane. So that was amazing.”

Sunrise host Nat Barr — a proud West Aussie — always feels a sense of home when she lands in Perth, and while she’s lost count of her number of Telethon appearances, the Bunbury product has never lost sight of the difference the weekend makes to the community.

“This just means so much, all these years and all this money, but it’s the feeling that you get through this whole weekend, from the arrival at the airport and every one of these hours until Sunday night,” Barr said.

“It’s so special. People in the Eastern States are in awe of what we’re about to do this weekend, and I’m so excited.”

Her right-hand man, Matt ‘Shirvo’ Shirvington, believes the most special element of Telethon is “kids helping kids”.

“More than anything, the thing that I love the most is when young kids come along with their sandwich bags full of cash that they’ve saved up throughout the year, or forgone birthday presents or whatever it is, and say, Can you hand this over?” he said.

Promising another lip-sync battle, equipped with a wardrobe change, Shirvo suggested nothing is off limits and will be telling his colleagues: “If a conga line goes by, jump on board.”

The Morning Show hosts Larry Emdur and Kylie Gillies spend hours together most days, but the pair admitted the same rules don’t apply in the air.

“It’s always great flying with Kylie, we’re usually like the royal family. We like to travel separately… just in case,” Emdur joked.

“But I couldn’t fall asleep this time because I knew she’d be lurking to try and get a photo for Instagram with me slobbering all over myself.”

Gillies suggested the weekend was full of surprises, and it was impossible to predict what would happen next.

“I bumped into a guy who runs some McDonald’s restaurants who said, ‘You’ll probably be eating some of my cheeseburgers over the weekend, because I’ve donated a whole stack of them’,” she said.

“So it’s started already.”

Within earshot was My Kitchen Rules co-host Manu Feildel, who believed he wouldn’t be cooking too much, “but hopefully I’ll be eating a lot”.

Admitting it’s “always a pleasure coming to Perth”, the Frenchman said Telethon provided a great opportunity to run amok with colleagues he doesn’t see so often in the name of fundraising.

“All the Channel Seven crew, we know each other, but we never spend too much time together, and we’re gonna have a lot of fun this weekend and hopefully get a lot of cash,” Feildel added.

Returning for his second year, AFL Brownlow Medallist and larrikin Shane Crawford had a ball in 2024 and will be close to the action once more.

“I did get cream-pied in the face a few times, so it wouldn’t surprise me if that happens again. But that’s easy for me — I’m a big kid at heart, so I just join in all the fun,” he teased.

Footy pundit and funnyman Mick Molloy — host of The Front Bar — joked he’d been recruited out west “to raise money for the West Coast Eagles, so they could afford Harley Reid”.

“I’m a soft touch when it comes to the kids,” Molloy added. “What I know is there’s lots of singing and dancing, and people carrying on, raising money for a very good cause. It’s quite famous, even over in the east.”

For actor Tristan Gorey, his first call-up to the big show doubled as a trip home.

“It’s a good feeling stepping off the plane, everything slows down — the weather, the vibe, the people. It’s going to be a nice couple of days,” he said.

As a product of WA, the former John XXIII College student has not forgotten the profound impact the weekend has on the community.

“It’s always a really big deal, a really important cause. I’m looking forward to being a part of it, it’s my first time, so I’m excited and nervous,” Gorey added.

With a goal of topping 2024’s donation tally of $83 million, Rob Palmer suggested it would be foolish to underestimate WA’s willingness to rise to the challenge.

“The expectation may be high, but history shows you that WA won’t be told what they can and can’t do,” Palmer said.

The gregarious TV personality — who needs no excuse to smile — said it’s impossible not to embrace the occasion.

“I’ve never seen someone as positive as a child in hospital with something they have no control over. They have a positivity that’s contagious, and it spreads throughout the entire community,” he added.

Returning after “five or six” previous appearances, performer Rob Mills — a proud ambassador for the Australian Children’s Music Foundation — has personally felt the impact of children’s charities and can empathise with the families doing it tough.

“Having had a nephew who was in the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, that feeling of how families, what family’s going through, especially when it’s their babies, you know how it can decimate a family, or how can bring a community together,” he said.

“So I think it’s one of the greatest charity weekends that exists in this country. And it’s just my pleasure to be a part of it.”

Forever linked with his Australian Idol mate Guy Sebastian — who performed at Telethon last year — Shannon Noll said he’ll be out to put on a show on Sunday and recalled meeting “some crazy bands over here” in his earliest appearances.

“It’s always just a great time, such a great vibe around the whole thing. Everyone gets right into the mood, it’s terrific,” he said.

Following his own Australian Idol victory in April, Marshall Hamburger’s trip west marks both his debut at Telethon and his first experience in Perth as a Queenslander. But he’s not sought too much advice from his experienced travelling party.

“I heard that it’s the biggest charity event in the world,” Hamburger beamed.

“This will be a full surprise, I’m going in blind.”